A commission to produce a sound guide to the warblers of Europe first took me to the island of Lesbos, in the north-east of the Aegean Sea close to the ancient site of Troy and very much part of Homer’s world (the historical Homer is thought to have been born on Chios – visible from the south coast of Lesbos). Politically part of Greece, it’s geographically very close to Turkey and shares elements of a more eastern ecology. Kruper’s Nuthatch and Cinereous Bunting are indicators here.
On the first visit, by chance we were based in Vatera on the south coast of the island, and at this time well away from the main centres of foreign tourism and off the beaten track of the birding groups. We arrived at the same time as the Black-headed Buntings from the south and everywhere chimed with the rolling tunes of these very handsome birds. Even my kids got into them. It felt something like a birdsong paradise.
As well as many of the more widespread warblers, this eastern Mediterranean outpost offered Eastern Orphean Warbler, Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Rüppell’s Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Olive-tree Warbler and a whole range of other species new to me.
The bird community of a rocky gully on the west end of the island. With Eastern Orphean Warbler, Black-heading Bunting, Cinereous Bunting, Black-eared Wheatear (Eastern), Common Blackbird et al.
Western Rock Nuthatch (yes, Western!) were fairly widespread, though not particularly common. However their song duets were unmistakeable and captivating.
A pair of Rock Nuthatches, recorded in the same rocky gulley as above, in an area known as Skafi.
We first visited in May 2000, then three more times over the next decade. The sounds and scents of the island in spring were pretty intoxicating back then – I wonder what it’s like now. Still an island of birdsong?